Astros’ top 50 moments: Trading for Bagwell worth the effort

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The moment: The Astros trade relief pitcher Larry Andersen to Boston on Aug. 31, 1990 for Jeff Bagwell, a 22-year-old third baseman in the Red Sox organization.

The moment behind the moment: Teams had called Boston GM Lou Gorman all season about Bagwell, who was regarded as one of the Red Sox’ top hitting prospects.But as the AL East race wore on, Gorman needed help in the bullpen for the stretch drive. Andersen was 5-2 with a 1.95 ERA at the time for the Astros and the best out there.

Gorman said the Astros were offered several other players for Andersen, but they refused to take anyone but Bagwell.

“I tried for over a month to get them on to other players,” Gorman said. “In the end, I realized I had to give up Bagwell.”

Andersen pitched well enough down the stretch to help the Red Sox reach the ALCS against Oakland, but he wasn’t a factor in that series as the A’s swept.

And for the Astros …

“When you get a chance to get a player like Bagwell, you do it, “ said Bill Wood, the Astros GM at the time who followed with what turned out to be a bit of an understatement.

“He’s an above-average offensive player, and that’s one of our goals of the 1990s. To bring in more players who have above-average offensive tools.”

Bagwell arrived in Kissimmee, Fla., the next spring with thoughts of making the Class AAA roster. Instead, his bat showed so much promise the team moved him from third (filled by Ken Caminiti) to first so he could play right away.

He hit .294 with 15 homers and 82 RBIs and was named the NL Rookie of the Year. Three seasons later, Bagwell would be the NL Most Valuable Player.

When he retired after the 2005 season, Bagwell had 449 homers, 1,529 RBIs and a .297 average.

For a franchise with a history of bad trades, this one paid off.

“I begged the Boston Red Sox not to trade you,” Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, Bagwell’s childhood idol, said in a video tribute when Bagwell’s number was retired. “Boston’s loss is Houston’s gain. See you in Cooperstown.”